Charles verny



CHARLES VERNYv & A. VElLLET. 2$heelS--$heetllmprovement in ElectricalApparatus for Preventing Railway Accidents. No. 123,527. Patented Feb.6,1872.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2. CHARLES VERNY &- A. VEILLET. improvement inElectrical Apparatus for Preventing Railway Accidents.

No. 123,527. PatentedFeb.6,l872.

AM. PI/oTo-urnus/uPli/c ca A! K/ Mao/7:153 PROCESS.

U NITED sra'rns CHARLES AND ADRIEN VEILLET, OF LILLE, FRANCE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR PREVENTING RAILWAYACCIDENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,527, dated February6,1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES VERNY and ADRIEN VEILLET, both of Lille,France, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Electric RailwaySignals; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art tomake and use the same,'reference being had to the accompanying drawingforming part of this specification, in which drawing- Figure 1represents a transverse section of our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan ortop view of the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of a modification thereof.Fig. 4 is an end view of the same. Fig. 5 is a side view of anothermodification thereof.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

The invention consists in the arrangement of a wiper in combination withav single section-wire of suitable length, with a key on the point ofdanger, and with a galvanic-battery and alarm mechanism .in' theengineers stand of the locomotive, or in a'car, in such a man-.

ner that by the motion of the key over two buttons, one of whichconnects with the rail, and the other with the line-wire, the circuitthrough the alarm in the locomotive or car is closed, and the en gineeris informed beforehand if he can pass the point of danger in safety. Itfurther consistsin the combination of the above with a wiper secured toa locomotive or car with two line-wires secured on the side of orbetween the track in sections, the sections of one line-wire being madeto break joints with those of the other in such a manner that byconnecting the wiper with an electric magnetic-alarm mechanism, fromwhich a wire extends to one pole of a galvanic battery, the

other pole of which is a metallic connection with the rails, the circuitthrough the alarm mechanism will be closed whenever the trains approachwithin the length of one of the sections of the line-wires, and by theaction of the alarms the engineer or conductor of each train isimmediately apprised of the proximity of the other train, and all dangerof a collision is thereby avoided.

In the drawing, the letter A designates the engineer s stand of alocomotive, from which extends an arm, 13, of wood or othernon-conductor of electricity, that carries two wipers,

G D. These wipers are either ,constructed in v the shape of metallicbrushes, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, or they may be constructedin the form of wheels, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 5. The brush-wheels0*, as

which is mounted on a shaft, 12*, carrying a worm, 0*, that gears in aworm-wheel, d connected to the brush-wheel 0*. The current of aircreated by the motion of the train imparts a revolving motion to the fana which is transmitted to the brush-wheel by the wor'm and worm-wheel.The object of this revolvingmotionis to bring newportions of thebrushwheel inaction, as will hereafter be readily understood. Thebrush-wheel 0, shown in Fig. 5, consists of a series of metallicsegments, which are pressed outward by spiral springs.

The wiper O is intended to travel on the linewires 0 c, which arestretched on posts P, ei-

ther on the side or between the track, and which are made in sections ofconvenient length, say about three miles each. The sections of the twoline-wires are so arranged that they break joints, (see Fig. 2,) andthat the several sections are lsolated from each other; but the wiper Gis so constructed that it is constantly in metallic contact with bothline-wires c c. From the wiper 0 extends a wire, 10, to a post, 6, of analarm-bell, E. In the poste is secured a spring, f, which bears on theelastic shank of a hammer, h, that is secured in a post, g, and carriesthe armature i of an electromagnet, j. The post 9 connects with one endof the helix of the electro-magnet, the other end of which connects witha post, It, from which extends a wire, 11, to one, say the positive,pole of a galvanic battery,F. The negative pole of this batteryconnects, by a wire, 12, with an axle-box or any other part of thelocomotive which is in metallic contact with one of the rails Gr.

If two trains,moving on the same track, approach to within the distanceof three miles, (the length of the sections. of the line-wires,) thewipers of both trains are simultaneously in contact with the samesection of one of the PATENT orrronline-wires, and the circuit throughthe alarmbells on both trains is closed, and by the action of thesebells the engineer or conductor is informed of the close proximity ofthe two trains.

It will be readily understood from this description that one continuousline-wire would not work, because, in that case, the circuit through thealarm bells would be closed immediately two trains were put on the trackat any distance, and the object of our apparatus would be defeated.But'by using two linewires stretched in sections, each three miles, moreor less, long, the circuit through the alarmbells will only be closed,if two trains approach each other within the distance of three miles,whether said train move in the same or in opposite direction, andall'danger of a collision or of one train running into another caneasily be avoided.

When two trains approach within three miles the circuit is as follows:From the battery in first train through wire 12 to the rail, through byLetters Patent, is

the rail and wheels of the second train to the battery there, throughthis battery, wire 11, alarm-bell E, and wire 10 to the wiper O of thesecond train, thence through wire 10, alarmbell E, and wire 1 1, back tothe battery of the first train.

The wiper 1) travels on a single wire, d, which may be stretched on thesame posts, P, which support the '1inewires c c, or difi'erent posts maybe used. This wire is intended to extend only for a certain distancefrom either side of a station, or of a switch, or of a drawbridge, or ofany point where danger may be apprehended, and it connects with abutton, I, which is so situated in relation to a second button, m, and akey, 72, (see Fig.2,) that by turning this key the two buttons 1 and mare brought in metallic connection. From the button on extends a wire,13, Fig. 2, to the rail,

1 while the wiper D connects by a wire, 14, with an alarm-bell, E, fromwhich a wire, 15, ex-

tends to one pole ofa battery, F. The other pole of this batteryconnects by a wire, 16, with an axle-box or other part of the locomotivewhich is in metallic contact with the rail.

The section-wire (1 extends to a distance of five miles, more or less,from the point ofdanger, and if the train is tree to pass this point theman stationed there turns the key at over the buttons Zm. When the wiperD of the train strikes the far end of the section-wire, the circuitthrough the alarm-bell E is closed, and as this bell sounds theengineerknows that r the switchman, drawbridgeman, or other person incharge is at his post, and that the road is clear. But if the key n isnot turned over the buttons l m the alarm-bellE will not sound, and theengineefbf the approaching train is warned to stop.

The construction of the alarm-bells E E may be as above described,-orsaid alarms may be constructed in any desirable manner suitable for thispurpose.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure 1. The wiper D or itsequivalent, connected to a locomotive or car, and acting on asection-wire, d, in combination with a key, 01., and an electromagneticalarm secured in the engineers stand or car, substantially in the man--ner set forth. 2. The subject-matter of the above claim, in combinationwith a wiper, 0, connected to a locomotive or car, and acting onsectional linewires 0 c and electromagnetic alarm E, secured in theengineers stand or car, the whole forming a complete signal apparatus,for the purpose and substantially as described.

This specification signed by us this 4th day of October, 1871.

CH. VERNY.

A. VEILLET.

